Memory Holobook: My Favorite Star Wars Memories

Today, May 25^th, marks the 45^th anniversary of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope…or as it was called then, Star Wars!  When I started this blog I wrote about Star Wars all the time.  Now it’s been years (literally!) since I wrote anything about the galaxy far, far away.  My last Star Wars piece was in December of 2019, my reaction to and reflection on The Rise of Skywalker.  I just haven’t had much to say about Star Wars as we go further into the Disney Canon.  However, I wanted to write something to mark this occasion.  Kiri wrote a beautiful (and super fun!) piece over on Star Wars Anonymous a year ago about her favorite Star Wars memories.  I loved her post and told her I was excited to nick her idea and compile my own list of Star Wars memories.  The wheels began turning as memories and moments came to mind…I just never wrote it.  But the 45^th anniversary of A New Hope’s original theatrical release feels like the perfect time to get nostalgic!

Han Solo: Another Reflection on Head Canon

The term ended last week and with it came the close of the second round of our Star Wars & Contemporary Mythology course.  As Hannah and I were making our way through grading some of our students’ work, I had a revelation.  Something similar happened last year, as our students’ final papers helped us finally make peace with The Force Awakens.  I’m not sure if this epiphany-while-grading thing will become a tradition with our Star Wars class, but it’s happened to me again.  This time it came while reading several Star Wars Playlist assignments – focused on Han Solo – and it led me to clearly see something quite personal about my experience of Star Wars.

Star Wars ComLINKS: The Love of Sharing Star Wars

Happy Corporate Commodification of Love Valentine’s Day everyone!!!  Hopefully, through all the cultural ridiculousness today, you find some time to think about those you love and reflect on what a wonderful gift sharing love is.  In that spirit, Jenmarie, of Anakin and His Angel, has dedicated this month’s ComLINKS to, “This year I thought writing about who we love to share Star Wars with would be a very uplifting topic.  So, who do you love to watch the films/cartoons with or talk about the latest books/comics with?  Is it your parents? Maybe they introduced you to the franchise?  Your loved one or friends you met at Star Wars Celebration?  How do you share Star Wars with this person/people?  Do you have any fun traditions?”  Aww, I love it (no pun intended).  Without further ado, let’s tell some stories!

My Week with Captain Phasma

Last week was Force Friday and Disney began getting people hyped for The Last Jedi by dropping all sorts of new Star Wars merchandise.  There was excitement for Black Series figures and LEGOs and (of course) porgs in any possible variety.  But my Force Friday list only had one MUST HAVE item on it – Delilah S. Dawson’s new Star Wars novel Phasma.  I’ve been waiting since April for this book!  Hannah and I enjoyed our traditional mid-work Force Friday run and both excitedly bought the new novel.  I couldn’t wait to read it!  And once I started I couldn’t put it down!

Who is Rey?: An Avatar as a (Possible) Answer

As we inch ever closer to The Last Jedi, my excitement continues to mount.  No matter how much I tell myself not to get my expectations too high, I can’t help but speculate!  As I’ve said before, this random and excited speculating is part of the fun of Star Wars.  I remember the months leading up to The Force Awakens were filled with hours and hours of pondering and hypothesizing.  What will happen??  Who are these new characters??  How will the fit into the world of Star Wars?!?  Geeking out with other Star Wars fans is one of life’s great joys :).  And like many fans of the Saga, I’ve been spending a lot of time puzzling over who Rey really is and how she fits into the Force.  Somewhat unexpectedly, the answer I keep coming back to that makes the most sense comes care of Hinduism.

Making My Peace With The Force Awakens

There was no way to control my excitement and anticipation as the release date for The Force Awakens drew near at the end of 2015.  I tried but this was the first time in thirty years Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, Artoo, and Threepio would be together again in a new adventure on the BIG SCREEN.  As the credits rolled and the lights in the theatre came up…I wasn’t feeling what I wanted to feel.  David, Kalie, Jeff, Hannah, and I all stood around in the parking lot after our initial screening staring at each other until Hannah finally said what I was feeling too, “I kind of hated it.”  It didn’t feel like Star Wars to me.  The absence of Lucas’ vision was painfully evident.  BUT I’ve carried this resentment long enough.  It’s time for me to let go and celebrate what’s right with The Force Awakens. 

Really, Your Snoke Theory Doesn’t Suck

Last week Jeff wrote a post titled “Your Snoke Theory Doesn’t Suck.”  I read it.  I appreciated it.  I felt it was something that needed to be said.  I thought nothing else of it…then the internet exploded.  Well, exploded is a strong word but it certainly elicited some surprisingly strong reactions.  As I’ve followed some of the Twitter firestorm, it started to bother me.  So here we are.  I could be grading but my conscience was urging me to write instead.  I guess I’ll just be up late finishing those papers!  Let me say clearly, whoever you are, wherever you are out there in Star Wars land, I’m reaffirming what Jeff’s already said – really, your Snoke Theory doesn’t suck.  

Versatile Blog Award!

A few weeks ago, Green Onion nominated me for this award.  However, it’s taken me so long to put this post up for two reasons.  First, I was being thoughtful about who I wanted to pass this along to.  Second, right after his nomination I got waaaaay into reading, writing, and talking about Ghostbusters (as you can see here, here, here, and here) and when that dust settled, I’d forgotten I never did this post!  But I always feel special when nominated/tagged and I enjoy the fun of passing these awards/tags along so here we are.  Thank you Green Onion for sharing the love!  Now let’s get down to business.

Top Five Wednesday – Additions to My Wish List!

I realized yesterday that I haven’t posted anything since geeking out about the AMAZING new Ghostbusters last Friday nor have I really been on WordPress since the weekend.  It was unplanned but proved to be a nice mind-clearing, resetting sort of mental holiday.  Anyway, it’s Wednesday and you know that that means – it’s Top Five Wednesday time!  This week’s topic, care of the good folks running the Goodreads group, is the top five books you’re dying to add to your collection.  Sounds fun :).  Yay!

So…what’s Luke Skywalker been up to??

There’s no new post on My Comic Relief today as I’ve been writing a post for The Imperial Talker about Luke Skywalker!  That’s right, the Luke Skywalker!  I talk about his importance as a mythic hero as well as the questions his activities between Return Of The Jedi and The Force Awakens raise.  There’s discussion of the old Expanded Universe, the new Disney Canon, and all sorts of other awesomely nerdy stuff too.  So if you’re feeling like your day needs a little more Star Wars (and whose doesn’t??) or you’d like to ponder Luke’s role as mythic hero, or even if you’d just like a little of my usual reflective rambling, please head here.  Be warned, there are spoilers for The Force Awakens (which, c’mon, I’m sure you’ve already seen) as well as minor spoilers for the new novel Star Wars: Bloodlines – although nothing major about the novel’s plot is discussed, just asides where Luke’s mentioned.  I also talk about the final issue of last fall’s four issue comic miniseries Star Wars: Shattered Empire.  Enjoy!